Oil-pressure clutch



1930. B. A ROBINSON 1,773,861

OIL PRESSURE CLUTCH Filed April 9, 1928 ZSheets-Sheat 1 lNVENTOR ATTOR NEY WITNESS:

Aug. 26, 1930. B. A. ROBINSON 1,773,861

OIL PRES SURE CLUTCH Filed April 9. 192's 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 A 6 lg V 1 /3 I 4\\\ 7 mmlm-mr WITNESS:

Patented Aug. 26, 1930 f p I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y BURTON A. RonINsoN, or nn'rnorn MIcnIeAN I I i OIL-PRESSURE cnu rcn I Application filed April 9, 1928. "serial Nb. 268,596, This invention relates to a fluid clutch, the driven Shaft which has one end journaled in general object of the invention being to prothe casing and to which the rotor 4 is keyed, as

vide a casingand a rotor therein spaced from shown at 5. 'The rotor is also attached to the the casing to form an annular oil chamber, shaft 3 by means of the screw? bolt 6 which with a gate valve carried by each part, the is inserted into holes tormedlin th'ehub and 55 valve of the drive part acting. to place the periphery of the rotor, the bolt being threadliquid in the annular chamber under pres-V ed in the holein'the hub with its pointed end. sure with the valve on the other or driven engaging the shaft 3. The hole in theperiphh I part over an abutment against which' the cry is enlarged at its outer end and threaded i0 pressure acts so that the driven part will be to receive a plug 7 As shown, the rotor'is e0 rotated. of less diameterthan the interior diameter of- Another objectof the invention is to prothe casing so that an annular chamber 8 vide means for adjusting the valve of the is formed between th'ecasing androtor which drive part so as to regulate the pressure of the is filled with oil or other liquidliquid or fluid to enable the driven part to Arecess 9 is formed in the inner wall at the 65 be rotated at difierent speeds. caslng' and a gate valve .10 is adjustab'ly A still further object of the invention is arranged in ther'ecess with it's shaft 11 jourto provide means tormoving the valve of I'laled in the ends of the casing, with one end thedriven part into a'recess formed in said eXtendlng from the casing. An arm 12 is part when the valve of the drive partap-' fastened tosaid projecting end and the outer 17'0 proaches the valve of the driven part so that endof the arm is connected a link 1 8 wi th the valves can readily pass each other. a sllde 14 mounted 'inthefguideway 15 fas- This invention also consists in certain other tened to one sideJoffthe casing. A link 16 features ofconstruction and in the combiuaconnects the slide with a collar 17 slidably tion and arrangement of the several parts, to mounted on the shaft-3 and normally held in 7 be hereinafterfully described, illustrated in spaced relation with the casing by a 'coil the accompanying drawings'and specifically spring 18 encircling the shaft and bearing pointed out in the appended claim. against the collar and a part 'ofthe casing.

In describing my invention in detail, ref This spring normally holds the parts in a po- @733) erence will be had to the accompanying sition with the free end cfthemmber 10 S0 drawings wherein like characters denote like bearing against the rotor and thus closing or corresponding parts throughout the sevthe chamber 8 at this point. eral views, and in which 2- I provide a removable seatfor the free end Figure 1 is a side view of the device. I of the member 10 which consists of aplug 19 g 35 Figure 2 is a view ofthe opposite side, with. of circular shapein cross section and heldin parts broken away. V an opening in the casing through means of the i s Figure 3 'sa section on line 33 of Figbolts 20,, This plug is provided with'a cut j ure 1', away portion alarming a recess-in which Figure is a section on linedact Fig the free end of the member "10 operates and ure 1. I I o I witha' second cut-away portion 22 which 'co- Figure 5 is a section on line 5- 5 of'Figincides with thefchamber 8. l p ure 2. o i The rotor is provided with the'ad'joining Figure 6 is a view showing how the valve recesses 23-and 24, therecess 23 receiving the or abutment member of the rotor is hingedly valve or abutment '25 which is pivoted to the I attached thereto, this view also showing the 'rotor by' means of the pin 26'passing'thro'ugh cam groove engaging roller of said valve. the "arms 27 of the member 25, one arm of the Figure 7 is a side view of the rotorm v member being extended and carrying a roller In these views, the numeral 1 indicates the V 28'which engages acam groove 29 formed in. drive shaft to which is. attached the circular the inner face of sne r the ends of the casing.

casing 2 and the numeral 3 indicates therThehigh part ofthis groove isso situated that I when the roller engages the same, the member 25 will be moved into the recess 23 when that part of the rotor carrying the valve or member 25 approaches the part of the casing carrying the valve 10 so that the valves can pass each other without the valve 25 moving the valve 10.

A chamber 30 is formed between the central part of the rotor and the casing, which acts as a reservoir for a reserve supply of oil and this oil will be caused to enter the chamber 8 under the action of centrifugal force and thus keep said chamber 8 full while the device is in operation. The oil passes from thechamber 30 to the chamber 8 between the rotor and the side walls of the casing.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the casing is revolving, the member 10 will place the fiuid in that part of the chamber between itself and the member 25 under pressure and this pressure, acting against the member 25, will cause the rotor to revolve and the speed of the rotor in relation to that of the casing can be regulated by adjusting the member 10 through means of the collar 17. For instance, if the member 10 is resting upon the rotor, no liquid can pass said member 10 and thus the rotor will be revolved at the same speed as the casing, but if said member 10 is slightly raised from the rotor, some of the flllld can pass between the member 10 and the rotor so that the fluid between the members 10 and 25 will be under less pressure and therefore the rotor will revolve at less speed than the casing. Thus by adjusting the member 10, the rotor and the shaft 3 can be revolved from the shaft 1 and the casing at different speeds.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

WhatI claim is A fluid clutch comprising a casing, a rotor therein of smaller diameter than the interior diameter of the casing and forming an annular chamber between itself and the casing, said chamber containing fluid, the casing having a recess therein in communication with the chamber, an adjustable member in the recess and having a part entering the chamber for placing the liquid therein under pressure when the casing revolves, an abutment member carried by the rotor and extending into the chamber for receiving the pressure exerted by the fluid to cause the rotor to revolve with the casing, said rotor having two adj oining recesses therein in one of which the abutment member is pivoted, an arm on said member extending into the other recess, a roller on the arm, the casing having a cam groove therein in which the roller operates to move the abutment member into and out of the chamber and means for adjusting the adjustable member for increasing or decreasing the pressure exerted thereby upon the fluid.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

BURTON A. ROBINSON. 

